News

Press Release

Energy Corridor Recycles Day Nov. 14 will Keep Tons of E-waste from Being Trashed or Incinerated

10/22/2015

Addicks Park & Ride new location for West Houston’s largest e-recycle event

HOUSTON, October 21, 2015 – Millions of tons of electronic waste – many laced with toxic metals – are tossed in landfills or incinerated each year in the United States, but Houstonians can help turn that tide by disposing of e-waste sustainably during The Energy Corridor Recycles Day, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, November 15, at the Addicks Park and Ride.

The seventh annual Energy Corridor Recycles Day – one of Houston’s largest e-cycling events – moves to the Addicks Park and Ride, 14230 Katy Freeway, between Hwy 6 and N. Eldridge Pkwy. There, unused electronics can be properly disposed of, along with household recyclables, clothes and even toys, while documents will be securely shredded.

Recyclers don’t even have to get out of their vehicles, while volunteers unload old televisions, computers, phones, hard drives, monitors, telecommunications equipment, game consoles, stereos and other electronics.

Last year, 52 skids of electronics were collected, according to The Energy Corridor District, the event organizer. That's more than 46,235 pounds of e-waste disposed of properly, keeping potentially toxic materials out of landfills, roadside ditches and the atmosphere, or being shipped overseas to countries with few regulations when it comes to waste disposal.

“Toxic chemicals found in e-waste include lead, cadmium, mercury, PVC, flame retardants and hexavalent chromium, many of which are known to cause cancer, while all can have detrimental affects on human health,” explains Rachael Weaver, community relations coordinator for The District. “We hope that events like The Energy Corridor Recycles Day can help drive more electronics recycling.”

More than 2.4 millions tons of electronic devices were tossed in landfills or incinerated in the United States during 2012, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

With cell phones alone, 135 million were trashed in the U.S. during 2010, according to the EPA, while only 17 million were recycled. More than 74 million keyboards and mice, along with 24 million monitors, were discarded, the EPA reports.

“Whether it's your garage or company storage, Energy Corridor Recycles Day is an opportunity to clear out electronics clutter while helping Mother Earth,” says Weaver.

Document clutter can also be eliminated during the event. Last year, Energy Corridor Recycles Day securely shredded 15,400 pounds worth. The Internal Revenue Service recommends keeping documents for seven years. “After that, it’s time to de-clutter,” explains Weaver.

Volunteers from event partners Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips will work the event with host The Energy Corridor District. A variety of recycling companies will take care of proper disposal, including CompuCycle (electronics recycling), Shred Pro Services (secure document shredding), American Textile Recycling Services (clothes, shoes and toys recycling) and Republic Services (household recyclables).

Businesses can participate by providing volunteers, goodie bag swag or getting the word out to employees. To support Energy Corridor Recycles Day 2015, contact Rachael Weaver at rweaver@energycorridor.org.

“Save the date and start stacking up your old electronics, household items and documents today,” says Weaver. “Help us make this year’s e-recycle event our largest one yet.”

About The Energy Corridor District
Created in 2001 by the Texas Legislature, The Energy Corridor District (Harris County Improvement District #4) works to enhance the community’s quality of life and sense of place by implementing mobility, public safety, and streetscape and business development initiatives. The Energy Corridor District consists of over 2,000 acres that extend along both sides of Interstate 10 from Kirkwood to west of Barker Cypress and along Eldridge Parkway from north of IH-10 to south of Briar Forest.